Clothes post



May 26, 1925. 1,538,900

- J. w. s. LOUGHLIN CLOTHES POST Filed .May 19. 1925 INVENTOR.JmesHSLazgA/Zin/ BY 2 JMWQATORNEYS Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,538,900 PATENT OFFICE, f

JAMES W. S. LOUGHLIN, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CLOTHES POST.

Application filed May 19,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES S. LOUGH- LIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes Posts; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in removable clothesline posts; and the invention has for its principal object to provide astrong, durable and efiicient post which may be quickly set up or takendown, and which is provided with novel means for securing theclothesline thereto in such manner that the same cannot he accidentallyloosened or detached therefrom.

The invention has for another object to provide in combination with theremovable clothes-post a novel supporting socket which is sunk into theground, and which is adapted to telescopically receive the lower end ofthe removable clothes-post: said socket hav ing a hinged cover member atits upper end to close the socket opening against the entrance of dirt,etc., when the clothes-post is removed therefrom,

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detaileddescription of the same.

lVith the various objects of this invention in view, the same consists,primarily, in the novel construction of removable clothes-post andsupporting socket therefor hereinafter set forth: and the inventionconsists furthermore in the novel arrangements and combinations of theseveral devices and parts, as well as in the details of the constructionof the same, all of which will be more fully described in the followingspecification, and then finally embodied in the claims appended thereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of the novel construction ofremovable clothes post erected in the supporting socket, the latterbeing shown, in part, in vertical longitudinal sec- 1923, Serial No.640,277.

tion; Figure: 2 is a transverse horizontal section, taken on line 22 inFigure 1 Figure 3 is another transverse horizontal section, taken online 3--3 in Figure 1.

Figure l is a top end View of the clothes post head, said View beingdrawn on an enlarged scale. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the clothespost head, a portion of the post member being shown in vertical section,said view being also drawn on an enlarged scale; Figure 6 is alongitudinal vertical section through the clothes-post head, taken online 6'6 in Figure 1 and drawn on an en larged scale; and Figure 7 is ahorizontal section through the head, taken on line 7-7 in Figure 6.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference character 1 indicates themain body of the clothespost, the same being made of metallictubing,'preferably a light steel tubing. The head member which finishesthe upper end of the post, and which constitutes the member wherebysecure attachment of a clothes-line is made relative to the post,comprises two members, viz, a hook or anchor member and a guard member.Said hook or anchor member comprises a main horizontal plate 2.Integrally connected with said plate 2, so asto depend fromthe centralportion of the underside thereof is a shank member 3, which iscross-shape in cross-see tion. This shank member 3 is inserted in theupper end of the main body or column 1'. .of the clothespost, into whichis deposited soft cement, mortar, concrete or other suitable binder atThe binder 4 being plastic fills into the spaces intermediate the armsof said shank-member 3, and when it hard-ens, firmly secures the plate 2to the upper end of the main body or columns 1 of the clothes-post.Integrally connected with said plate 2 so as to radiate therefrom,preferably at 90 degrees intervals, are a plurality of outwardlyprojecting up-turned hook members 5. Integrally connected with the upperside of said plate 2, so as to project upwardly from the central portionthereof is a hub member or center boss 6, the same having formed thereina receiving socket 7 provided with diametrically opposed verticallock-ribs 8 projecting inwardly from its interior walls. Said guardmember of the clothes-post head comprises a horizontal plate-portion 9.Integrally connected with said plate-portion 9, so as to depend from thecentral portion of the underside thereof is ashank member 10, which isalso cross- .shape in cross-section. This shank member 10 is inserted inthe receiving socket 7 of the hub member or boss 6 of the hook or anchormember, in such a manner that the lockribs 8 enter spaces between thearms of said shank member 10 (as shown in Figure 7) thus holding saidguard member against rotative displacement relative to its desiredcooperative relation to said hook or anchor member. Before inserting theshank-member 10 in said receiving scoket 7, a plastic cement 11 isdeposited within the latter, which when the shank-member 10 is enteredin said receiving socket fills .in the spaces around the former, and,when hardened, firmly secures the guard member against displacement fromthe hook or anchor member of the head. Integrally connected with saidplate-portion 9 so as to radiate therefrom, preferably at 90 degreeinterval-s, are a plurality of horizontally and outwardly projectingguard or keeper fingers 12, which are disposed to project between thefree ends of adjacent hook members 5. Integrally connected with theupper side of said plateportion 9 is a head-piece 13 of suitable shape.

The supporting socket, which is adapted to be sunk into the ground, withits upper end at ground level, comprises a tubular socket member 14 of asize adapted to readily accommodate the lower end of the main body orcolumn of the clothes-post, when the latter is telescopically enteredtherein. Connectedwith the lower end of said socket- 7 member 14 is aconical foot-piece 15, having a shank-portion 15' secured into the lowerend of said socket-member 14. The conical shape of said foot-piece 15permits of easy penetration of the supporting socket into the ground,when the same is driven downwardly thereinto. In order to limit thedistance of insertion of the lower end of the main body or column 1 ofthe clothes post into the receiving socket, the socket-member 14 isprovided with a stop-lugs 16, which are struck out of its walls, andinwardly olf-set into the interior of the socket-member so as to engagethe bottom of the main body or column 1, all as shown more particularlyin Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. The upper end of the socket-member14 is provided with an annular exterior collar 17, the outer sides ofwhich taper downwardly and inwardly. The opening of said collar 17 isprovided at its upper end with an internal annular bead or rib 18, whichengages the upper extremity of the socket member, to prevent downwarddisplacement of the collar relative to the upper end of the socketmember. Integrally connected Figures 1 and 2), or which may be closeddown over the opening or mouth of the socket member, when theclothes-post is removedtherefrom, (as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1)to thus protect the interior of the socket, member against the fillingthereof with dirt, etc.

When the clothes-post is set up the clothes line may be engaged invarious ways in connection with the anchor or hook member, either asshown in Figure 4: by turning the same around the hub member or boss 6and outwardly around the hook portions 5, or otherwise as may bedesired, the guard fingers 12 preventing any upward dislodging orrelease of the line, when the same is thus connected to theclothes-post. More than one clothes line may be attached to the post, soas to radiate from the head member thereof to various outlying points,by associating the same variously with the several hook-members 5, etc.

From the above description it will be quite clear that my inventionprovides a very eflicient, neat appearing, and strong removableclothes-post, which may easily be taken down and stored away when not inuse; and, furthermore, the novel head memher with its novel arrangementof tie hooks and associated guard fingers, is of such character, as topermit of certain and secure fastening of the clothes-line to the post,so that there is no danger, when the line is loaded with clothes of thesame becoming accidently detached.

I claim 1. A clothespost comprising a main body, a head-piece connectedwith the upper end of said main body comprising a hook member having aplurality of radially projecting upturned hook-portions, and a guardmember associated with said hook-member having a plurality of radiallyprojecting horizontal guard fingers to extend between the free ends ofadjacent hook-portions.

2. A clothes-post comprising a tubular main body, a plate-member havinga central depending shank entered and cemented in the upper end of saidtubular main body, said plate-member having at its upper side a centralsocketed hub, said plate-member being further provided with a pluralityof radially projecting up-turned hook-portions,

a guard plate member having a central de- In testimony that I claim theinvention pending shank entered and cemented in said set forth above Ihave hereunto set my hand 10 socketed hub, said guard-plate inglnberbethis 10th day of May, 1923.

ing provided With a plurality o radially projecting horizontal guardfingers to eX- JAMES LOUGHLIN' tend between the free ends of adjacent\Vitnesses: hook-portions, as and for the purposes set GEORGEDLRIOHARDS, forth. FLORA MILLER.

